Furnace roof block



April 16, 1963 J. w. LELAK 3,085,523

FURNACE ROOF BLOCK Filed Jan. 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

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FURNACE ROOF BLOCK Filed Jan. 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ENTOR. P 5 JOHNmil-24k 1? 5- F- W Maw FM 1%,,

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3,985,523 FURNACE R005 BLOCK John W. Lelak, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor toHal-bison- Walker Refractories (Company, a corporation of PennsyivaniaFiled Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,249 2 Claims. ('Cl. 110-99) Thisinvention relates to furnace roof blocks, and more particularly to thoseprovided with hanger-receiving recesses.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a furnace roofblock of the type that can be suspended from a metal hanger, in whichthere is a metal insert that locks the hanger in place and greatlyincreases the area of contact of the hanger with the block.

In accordance with this invention, an upright refractory brick has inits upper end a downwardly extending central slot, in opposite sides ofthe lower part of which there are recesses. The topof each recess isprovided with a central notch. Disposed in the upper part of therecesses is a metal hanger plate having laterally spaced upwardly archedportions that fit in the notches. The central portion of the platebetween its arched portions is slotted for passage of a hanger crossbarafter the bar has been lowered through the slot in the brick. The archedportions of the hanger plate are adapted to receive the ends of the barafter it has been lowered through the plate, turned 90 and then raisedinto the recess notches, whereby the plate serves as an extended areaportion of the hanger.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG.1 is a perspective view of the roof block, with portions broken away;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hanger plate;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the block, showing a hanger inserted in theslot but not yet turned;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line IVIV of FIG.3, but with the hanger crossbar supporting the block.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line V-V of FIG.4; and

FIG. 6 is a central vertical section similar to FIG. 4, but showing amodification of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the main element of the block is anupright refractory brick 1. Preferably, the brick is formed from two ormore refractory units, either burned or unburned, that are held togetherby a sheet metal case 2 in a well-known manner. Four units are shownconsisting of two pairs of identical units 3 and 4. The units are spacedapart by oxidizable metal sheets 5 and 6. Each sheet 5 may be integralwith a sheet 6, which can be accomplished by bending a larger sheet atright angles. The upper end of the brick is provided with a downwardlyextending central slot 7, the upper portion of which, for best results,does not extend horizontally all the way across the brick. The slotextends down into the brick a couple of inches or so and the oppositesides of its lower portion are provided with recesses 8. Midway betweenits ends, each recess is provided with an upwardly extending portion ornotch 9. Metal sheets 5 and 6 are cut away to prevent them fromextending into the slot and recesses.

It is a feature of this invention that a metal hanger plate 11 isinserted in recesses 8. The plate is heavy enough to be rigid.Preferably, the opposite ends of the recesses and the lower part of slot7 extend out through the sides of the brick so that a horizontal passagewith rectangular end openings 12 extends entirely through the brick. Thehanger plate then can extend substantially all of the way through thebrick for engagement with a greater 3,085,523 Patented Apr. 16, 1963area of the material. The plate is held in the upper part of thetranverse passage by integral legs 13, which may be formed by bendingdown opposite sides of the plate to provide vertical flanges that alsowill stifien formed conveniently by striking up predetermined areas ofthe plate, or the plate can be a cast member. The arched portions aremadelarge enough to receive the ends of the crossbar 16 at the lower endof a typical hanger 17, as shown in FIG. 5. The central portion of theplate is provided with a slot 18 extending lengthwise of it andlaterally from one arched portion to the other. This slot may have thesame area as the upper part of the brick slot 7, but if smaller it mustbe at least large enough to receive the hanger crossbar as shown in FIG.3. Of course, the hanger plate is inserted in the brick before the units3 and 4 are assembled in the case, which therefore locks the plate inthe brick.

To assemble this roof block and a hanger for it, the crossbar 16 at thelower end of a hanger is lowered through the brick slot 7 and the plateslot 18 and into the area below the hanger plate, which is deep enoughfor that purpose. Then the hanger or the brick is turned so that theends of the crossbar will be beneath recess notches 9. The hanger thenis raised to lift the ends of the crossbar into the arched portions ofthe plate, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The block and hanger then cannotbe turned again relative to each other without first lowering the hangeror lifting the block to remove the crossbar from the notches. Therefractory brick rests on the metal plate, which in effect becomes thefoot of the hanger, and therefore the weight of the brick is distributedover a much larger area of the metal hanger than if the brick directlyengaged the hanger crossbar only. This makes it much less likely thatthe upper part of the brick will break out.

In the modification shown in FIG. 6, everything is the same as justdescribed, except that the hanger plate 21, with its arched portions 22,does not have any supporting legs. Instead, it is held at the top of therecess 8 by securing it to their upper walls by a suitable adhesive.That is done at the time the block is manufactured.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple of my invention and have illustrated and described what I nowconsider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have itunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated anddescribed.

1. A furnace roof block adapted to be suspended from a crossbar at thelower end of a hanger, comprising a refractory brick disposed on end andhaving in its upper end a downwardly extending central slot and recessesin opposite sides of the lower part of the slot, said brick being formedfrom a plurality of refractory units placed side by side, means holdingsaid units tightly together, the top of each recess being provided witha central notch, a metal plate disposed in said recesses and havinglaterally spaced upwardly arched portions, legs integral with the platesupporting it in the upper part of the recesses with said archedportions disposed in said notches, the central portion of the platebetween said arched portions being slotted for passage of a hangercrossbar lowered through said brick slot, and said arched portions beingadapted to receive the ends of such a bar when it is turned 90 below theplate and raised.

2. A furnace roof block adapted to be suspended from a crossbar at thelower end of a hanger, comprising a refractory brick disposed on end andhaving in its upper end a downwardly extending central slot and recessesin opposite sides of the lower part of the slot, said brick being formedfrom a plurality of refractory units placed side by side, means holdingsaid units tightly together, the top of each recess being provided witha central notch, the ends of said slot and recesses extending outthrough the adjacent sides of the brick to form a transverse passagethrough the brick a rectangular metal plate extending most of the waythrough said passage and having laterally spaced upwardly archedportions midway between its ends, vertical flanges extending down- Wardfrom opposite side edges of the plate to support it in the upper part ofthe recesses with said arched portions Q disposed in said notches, thecentral portion of the plate between said arched portions being slottedfor passage of a hanger crossbar lowered through said brick slot, andsaid arch portions being adapted to receive the ends of such a crossbarwhen it is turned 90 degrees below the plate and raised.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,448,879 Stripe May 20, 1923 2,465,170 'Rochow Mar. 22, 1949 2,915,893Wilkins Dec. 8, 1959 2,960,048 Garretts Nov. 15, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS902,541 Germany Jan. 25, 1954 771,895 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1957 92,528Norway Oct. 6, 1958

1. A FURNACE ROOF BLOCK ADAPTED TO BE SUSPENDED FROM A CROSSBAR AT THELOWER END OF A HANGER, COMPRISING A REFRACTORY BRICK DISPOSED ON END ANDHAVING IN ITS UPPER END A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CENTRAL SLOT AND RECESSESIN OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LOWER PART OF THE SLOT, SAID BRICK BEING FORMEDFROM A PLURALITY OF REFRACTORY UNITS PLACED SIDE BY SIDE, MEANS HOLDINGSAID UNITS TIGHTLY TOGETHER, THE TOP OF EACH RECESS BEING PROVIDED WITHA CENTRAL NOTCH, A METAL PLATE DISPOSED IN SAID RECESSES AND HAVINGLATERALLY SPACED UPWARDLY ARCHED PORTIONS, LEGS INTEGRAL WITH THE PLATESUPPORTING IT IN THE UPPER PART OF THE RECESSES WITH SAID ARCHEDPORTIONS DISPOSED IN SAID NOTCHES, THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE PLATEBETWEEN SAID ARCHED PORTIONS BEING SLOTTED FOR PASSAGE OF A HANGER CROSSBAR LOWERED THROUGH SAID BRICK SLOT, AND SAID ARCHED PORTIONS BEINGADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE ENDS OF SUCH A BAR WHEN IT IS TURNED 90* BELOWTHE PLATE AND RAISED.